Ruler gauge



Aug. 5, 1953 J. KLIMEK 2,649,784

4 RULER GAUGE Filed March 16, 1955 Leo J. K/imek 'INVENTOR.

Patented Aug. 25, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RULER GAUGE Leo J.Klimek, Sauk Centre, Minn.

Application March 16, 1953, Serial No. 342,615

1 This invention relates to new and useful improvements in ruler gaugesand the primary object of the present invention is to provide a rulergauge having novel and improved ruler retaining means over thatdisclosed in my U. S. Patent No. 2,606,371, issued August 12, 1952.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a rulerattachment including a housing member that will accommodate one end of aruler together with a quickly adjustable clamping element that willreleasably retain the one end of a ruler positioned within the housingportion of the attachment.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a ruler gaugeincluding a housing member that will accommodate one end of a ruler anda longitudinally toothed pressure element engageable with a spring arm,which pressure element will clampingly retain one end of the ruleragainst the bottom wall of the housing.

A still further aim of the present invention is to provide a rulerattachment that is extremely simple and practical in construction,strong and reliable in use, efficient and durable in operation, smalland compact in structure, inexpensive to manufacture, and otherwise welladapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which: 7

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view takensubstantially on the plane of section line 2-2 of Figure 1; s

Figure 3 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken substantiallyon the plane of section line 33 of Figure 2 and showing the pressureelement lockingly engaged with the spring arm;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing the pressure elementrotated 90 to release the spring arm; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the casing which is secured to thehousing and which slidably and rotatably supports the pressure element.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose ofillustration, there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, the numeral l0 represents an elongated housing having openends, an upper wall 4 Claims. (01. 33173) [2, a lower Wall 14 and sidewalls 16 and I8 joining said upper and lower walls. An angle base member20 is removably carried by the housing Ill and includes relativelyperpendicular flanges 22 and 24.

Flange 22 of base member 20 overlies a protractor 26 suitably fixed tothe upper Wall l2 at one end thereof. Wall I2 and flange 22 areprovidedwith registering apertures 28 and 30 that accommodate the threaded shank32 of a headed fastener 34 which also extends upwardly through anaperture in the protractor. The head portion of fastener 34 restsagainst the lower face of wall l2 and the shank 32 receivably engages anut 36 that engages the upper face of flange 22 to pivotall adjust thebase member 20 relative to the housing I 0, which pivotal adjustment isindicated by a pointer 38 on flange 22 registering with the graduationsof protractor 26.

An open bottom substantially channel shaped casing 40 overlies wall l2and its side walls are formed with outwardly turned attaching flanges 42that extend downwardly through an opening 44 in wall l2 to engage theunderside of wall l2 and thereby retain the casing attached to thehousing.

The top wall of casing 40 is provided with an opening 46 that registerswith opening 44. A pressure element 48 is slidably and rotatablypositioned in the openings 44 and 46 and includes a lower flat endportion 50 for movement toward and away from the lower wall I4. Theupper end of pressure element 48 supports a knurled surfaced finger grip52, whereby the pressure element 48 may be adjusted relative to wall M.

The shank portion 54 of pressure element 48 is provided with a series oflongitudinally spaced upwardlv tapering teeth 56 for en a i the f ee endportion of a spring arm 58 secured to the casing 40. The pressureelement 48 mav be rotated slightly in order to disen age the teeth fromthe spring arm as shown in Figure 4 of the drawings.

One end of a conventional folding ruler 60 is received in the end of thehousing In remote from the end of the casing facing the flange 24 ofbase member 20. Then, the pressure element 48 is rotated and moveddownwardly until end portion 50 clamps the ruler 60 against lower walll4, after which pressure element 48 is rotated to engage the spring arm58 against the upper straight edge of a tooth 56. Next, nut 36 isloosened and the base member 26' is pivoted to a desired angle relativeto housing In after which the nut 36 is tightened to retain the angularadjustment between base member 20 and housing l0.

Concavo-convexed spring members 62 and 64 are secured at one of theirends to the inner face of side wall l8 and the convex surfaces of thespring members engage one edge of ruler 60 to yieldingly urge the ruleragainst side wall [6.

Means is provided for converting the ruler into a compass or similarinstrument for scribing arcs and circles. This means comprises a casing66 oirset from and suitably secured to side wall IE. As disclosed morespecifically in my above referred to patent, the casing 56 slidablysupports a spring raised plunger 68 whose lower end is pointed topenetrate paper underlying the ruler as the plunger is depressed,whereby a scriber may be held against one edge of the ruler 69 and thehousing IE pivoted about the lower end of the plunger 68 as a pivotpoint.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will bereadily understood and further explanation is believed to beunnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction shown and described, andaccordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resortedto, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A ruler attachment comprising an elongated, open ended housing, anangle base member having one flange overlying one end of said housingand being pivotally adjustably secured to said housing, and meanscarried by said housing for clampingly retaining a ruler in the housing,said means comprising a guide casing engaging the housing, said housinghaving an opening facing the casing, a pressure element slidably carriedby the casing and extending through the opening and into the housing,and means carried by said casing engaging the pressure element to retainthe same against sliding movement.

2. A ruler attachment comprising an elongated, open ended housing, anangle base member having one flange overlying one end of said housingand being pivotally adjustably secured to said housing, and meanscarried by said housing for clampingly retaining a ruler in the housing,said means comprising a guide casing engaging the housing, said housinghaving an opening facing the casing, a pressure element slidably carriedby the casing and extending through the opening and into the housing,said pressure element having a shank portion provided with a series oflongitudinally spaced teeth, and means secured to the casing andengageable between adjacent teeth on said shank portion to retain thepressure element adjusted relative to the casing.

3. A ruler attachment comprising an elongated, open ended housing, anangle base member having one flange overlying one end of said housingand being pivotally adjustably secured to said housing, and meanscarried by said housing for clampingly retaining a ruler in the housing,said means comprising a guide casing engaging the housing, said housinghaving an opening facing the casing, a pressure element slidably carriedby the casing and extending through the opening and into the housing,said pressure element having a shank portion provided with a series oflongitudinally spaced teeth, and a spring arm secured to said casing andhaving an end portion engageable between adjacent teeth on said shankportion to retain the pressure element adjusted relative to the casing.

4. A ruler attachment comprising an elongated substantially rectangularhousing having open ends, an upper wall and a lower wall, an angle basemember having one flange overlying said upper wall at one end and beingpivotally adjustably secured to said upper wall, an open bottom casingoverlying said upper wall and secured thereto, said upper wall and saidcasing having openings in registry with each other, a pressure bolthaving a shank portion slidably and rotatably received in said openingsand movable toward and away from said lower wall, longitudinally spacedteeth on said shank portion, and a spring arm secured to said casing andhaving an end portion engageable between adjacent teeth to retain thepressure element adjusted relative to said lower wall, said pressureelement being rotated to permit the spring arm to clear the teethwhereupon the pressure element may be moved longitudinally.

LEO J. KLIMEK.

No references cited.

